WILMINGTON, VERMONT

Twenty miles west of Brattleboro through snow-capped mountains, found Wilmington’s terrific pint-size venue, MAPLE LEAF BREWERY, New Year’s Day ‘06. Though by summer ’08, brewery closed and only bar remained. Located in the quaint Mount Snow valley near the corner of Main Street, brewer Darren Fehring’s pub has outgrown its constricting boundaries and will add second floor bar post-haste. Small dining area to left fronts brew tanks while tucked-in low-ceilinged bar takes up the right. Burgers and sandwiches went well with sticky yellow-fruited buttery corn liquor pungency Winter Wheat Ale, coffee-stained wood-burnt walnut-dried Lenny’s Legend Porter, and ‘visiting ale’ Allagash Grand Cru (with its ripe tangerine-orange-melon tang and bruised orange/ cherry depth). Best bets: alcoholic whisky-malted raisin-tart Mad Walter’s Wee Heavy Scotch Ale and rye-flaked hop-charred currant-embittered Rye Not Stout.

November ’06, quaffed creamy cereal-grained honeyed wheat-based butternut-cornbread-dashed Bombshell Blonde and sharp-hopped red-fruited maple-sweet cracked wheat-backed Asylum American Pale Ale with Fehring. By summer ’08, brewery closed but bar remained.

If you like this, try:

1. ROUTE 66 BREWERY
2. FORT STREET BREWERY
3. THE BREWERY (LAKE TAHOE)
4. MADISON BREWERY
5. FRONT STREET BREWING
6. EUGENE CITY BREWERY
7. MARTHA’S EXCHANGE RESTAURANT & BREWERY
8. ROYAL OAK BREWERY
9. NORTHAMPTON BREWERY & GRILLE
10. MOGOLLON BREWERY